Dawns Garden Life

A sometimes whimsical blog about outdoor and indoor life in and around South Florida, the wildlife we observe and create habitats for, and our trials and successes with vegetable gardening and cooking seasonable vegetables.

Remove the skin from tomatoes - Boil water in a pan, cut an X in the top of the tomato and follow the X line all the way around the tomato, just cutting through the skin. Place tomato in boiling water and then remove almost immediately and place in an ice bath. The skin can now easily be pared off with a sharp knife. Slice tomato, no need to remove seeds.

Squeeze the lemon juice over all the ingredients and Just Juice It!

Such a pretty color!

My verdict:Sweet and deliciously fresh, with a slight zing from the apple/kiwi tartness.Makes 32-floz or 4 cups.Enjoy!

Monday, August 18, 2014

I know....it's Tuesday. Yesterday our internet connection was not working again. We are absolutely fed up with our internet provider here in South Florida and have had to invest in a cellular hotspot on the iPad. No matter, I think this soups tastes a little better on a Tuesday anyway.....You will need:3 leeks, just the white part, and sliced very thinly1 Stick of celery, with some leaves if you wish - chop into tiny piecesBunch of organic dandelions, readily available in Publix right nowTwo vegetable bouillon cubes1 beetroot - scrubbed and chopped finely10 stems/leaves of fresh parsley, washed, and snipped into little pieces1 tsp ginger paste1/2 tsp each cinnamon, freshly ground black pepper, powdered garlicCan of garbanzos/chick peas - thoroughly washed to removed sodium contentOptional ---- also used 3 stems of leftover raw broccoli, discard the tough bits and chop finely.Heat a little water in a large saucepan (no oil) and add the thinly sliced leeks, with the optional chopped broccoli.When tender add 6 cups of water the bouillon cubes, celery, beetroot, and parsley, and simmer.Now blanch the dandelions - plunge them into a boiling pan of water, remove almost immediately, and place them into ice water bowl, this removes the bitterness. Now add them to pan.Add all the spices - but no salt!!Add the garbanzos and just simmer on low.At this point you can add a peeled, raw potato, cut into 3 pieces (apparently this will draw the salt out of the soup). After the dish is cooked, remove the potato pieces ---- Or.. you can just leave the potato in and cut into smaller pieces.It is really delicious, hope you enjoy!

Sunday, August 17, 2014

A few years ago I wrote about growing pineapples just using the left over stalk of the pineapple once you have cut the fruit off. I include the link to that previous post here. Coming to Fruition - PineapplesIt really is so easy to grow your own pineapples, I thought a follow up blog was in order, especially since we are having such a hot, humid and rain filled summer here in South Florida - the timing is perfect.So you bought a pineapple at the store and you cut the top off and used the fruit......don't throw that stalk away!!

The left-over top of the pineapple

Pull the bottom leaves off. I find they come off very easily if you go in a clockwise direction, rather than just pulling them downwards. You want to remove about 2" like the picture above. This is called a slip.Plant your pineapple slip in a well drained, sunny location. It is important to remember that pineapples grow quite large - both upwards and their diameter can be well over 3 feet - and since they have rather sharp, spiky leaves that will nick a bare leg, so best thing is to not plant them too close to a pathway. Put a little well rotted organic compost in the planting hole. Pineapples do not need much water, they take in water through their leaves and, like the bromeliad family to which they belong, they do not have a very deep root system at all. Don't fertilize them with commercial fertilizer. Check on your slips every day for about two weeks, because any left over pineapple on the root stem can attract critters. If you find it has been dug up, just replant, no worries.After 3 months your pineapple will look like this.

3 months growth

6 months growth

6 months growth

Somewhere between 18 to 24 months (yes they grow slowly), you will first notice, nestled among the leaves, a little flower floret. That is your 'baby' pineapple!! Then the floret develops into this - see picture below - looks almost like a pine cone, doesn't it?

Above - The baby pineapples loses no time in developing its own little head of leaves above the developing fruit.

Progressing nicely, but it hasn't yet flattened out those buds and is a way from being ripe.

Almost there.....

I tend to cut mine a little early and then let them sit in the fruit bowl with a few apples to ripen it off, otherwise the result is this....

"Aarghhh!!" - chomped on - eewww... who wants to eat that!Growing pineapples is ridiculously easy, especially in Florida. Indeed, someways south of where we live, in Lake Worth, alongside the lagoon, there was once acres and acres of pineapples.Do you have any experience of growing pineapples? If so what is your success and failure story?

Thursday, August 14, 2014

With the abundance of really fresh and cheap summer fruits available in the stores, I dusted off my Hurom slow juicer and started putting it to good use on a regular basis.Drinking freshly pressed juice is just so healthy for you, and with a little effort you will soon be guzzling down a glass or two of this delightful concoction.You will need:1/3 fresh seedless watermelonpint of washed blueberries8 organic carrots, well scrubbed, but not peeled, and cut into 1 inch pieces2lb tub of medley of fruits from Publix, already chopped because I am feeling lazy, under a time constraint - my tub had honeydew and cantaloupe melon, pineapple, and a few grapes and strawberries. I am not crazy about strawberries in a juiced drink, but 3 hardly counts!Squeeze of lemon, suggested but not necessary.

Because the carrots are rather fibrous I make sure that I put a few pieces in and then follow up with softer, juicier fruits, repeat, repeat. This way the juicer doesn't come to a grinding halt - excuse the pun, couldn't resist.

Here is a mere snapshot of the reported health benefits of the various fruits used in this recipe.

Watermelon - from medicalnewstoday.com"considered a nutrient dense food...high amount of vitamins, mineral and antioxidants for a low amount of calories." "One cup provides 17% Vitamin A, 21% Vitamin C, 2% Iron and 1% calcium needs for the day........Watermelon contains more lycopene than any other fruit or vegetable."

Cantaloupe - from livestrong.com"Cantaloupe serves as a good source of folate.""Cantaloupes contain carotenoids......can decrease a patient's risk for the development of cardiovascular diseases.""Cantaloupe serves as a rich source of Vitamin C."

Blueberries - from health.com"Blueberries, like cranberries, contain compounds that prevent bacteria from adhering to bladder walls..."

"ribbitt....ribbitt as long as it doesn't include as room-mates a hawk, owl, snake, raccoon, etc. I'm up for a look-see."

Mom: "We can offer a delightful, compact, bachelor pad available and complete with slightly and completely free, stagnant water, lots of places to hide, and free grocery items on hand - like mosquito larvae, water bugs and the like, will that work for you?"

"ribbitt....ribbitt - oH this is perfect, and the shabby chic decor is just so me."
Mom: Thought so.

To the onion/garlic mix, add the grated tempeh, 1 1/4 cups veg broth, the carrots, corn and herbs, stir well. Then add the 2 Tablespoons ketchup and 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce. Salt and pepper to taste. Add peas, put lid on and simmer on low heat. Peel and chop 1/2 the apple and to the contents of pan.

In a separate pan, boil water, peel and chop potatoes and cook until soft. Remove from heat. Drain and put back into warm pan, allow water to evaporate. Mash with 1/2 cup of milk (soy or veg broth), 2 teaspoons of butter (I used coconut oil again) until light and fluffy, add salt and pepper to taste.

Put the tempeh mixture into an ungreased baking pan and add the potato mixture on top. Smooth down and sprinkle 1 cup shredded cheese on top.

Bake 30 minutes on the middle rack, then raise temp to 400 and cook for an additional 15 minutes for a lovely crispy, cheesy 'crust' (take a peek after 10 mins).

Allow to stand 5 minutes and serve with a side salad or vegetable of your choice.

Swallowtail Butterfly

Growing Better All The Time!

We love to grow our own food and we are thankful that over the years we have been able to teach our boys how to grow their own vegetables too. Through my modest blog, my goal is to show anyone they can and should grow at a minimum a tomato plant - even if it's on a patio balcony. Trust me, the bees will come.
Peppers, onions, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, herbs, eggplant and tomatoes! We save ourselves a bunch of money during the veggie season. I hope you enjoy reading my posts on gardening and our photographic adventures in the local parks and open spaces that we visit.